


Pinky Promise

by babymina



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Marriage, Unrequited Love, maybe some chaeyu if you really really squint, side ships: mihyun and samo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22153555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babymina/pseuds/babymina
Summary: “I’m not playing, here I’ll even bet you. 20 dollars. If we get married you owe me, if we don’t I owe you.”“You don’t even have 20 dollars, Jihyo.”“Not yet, but I’ll have time to save. It’s not like we’ll get married tomorrow.” Jihyo reaches into her backpack and pulls out her journal. If she wants this bet to be official they need it in paper.Sixteen years later on the morning of their wedding, Jihyo finds her self reminiscing over her journey with Nayeon.
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Park Jisoo | Jihyo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 216





	Pinky Promise

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the lovely @/itsyincheng on twt.
> 
> Note: this story is set in the United States because that is what I'm most comfortable writing about since I am from the US. I did research a lot on Korean/Korean American wedding traditions though, because I didn't feel like it would be right to take their identities away. If any of the information in this does not seem correct please kindly let me know! It was also difficult to find info on gay Korean weddings, especially lesbian ones. I also talked to my Korean friends for help, but still there might be something amiss. 
> 
> Also: this story is told through flashbacks so time stamps and references for locations are added at the beginning of each section for clarity
> 
> Enjoy~

**October 20, 2024- 7:45 AM - Jihyo’s Family Home**

It’s extremely odd waking up and seeing the same old ugly popcorn ceiling she used to see every morning for the first eighteen years of her life. It’s been years now since she moved out—nine to be exact—and the twenty-seven-year-old Jihyo still finds her mother’s design taste just as questionable as she did when she was a teenager. She rolls over in the small twin sized bed that’s stayed here in her room ever since her parents replaced her baby crib all those years ago. Jihyo stares groggily at the gaudy floral wallpaper on her bedroom walls—the very same wallpaper she had desperately begged for permission to paint over as her sixteenth birthday gift (which she had thought was a reasonable request at the time, though her mother saw it differently).

In her sleep clogged mind it’s easy for her to imagine that she is, in fact, still a little kid, and that at any moment her mother will come into the room and wake her up with good morning kisses and tell her it’s time to get ready for school.

This of course isn’t the case. Jihyo no longer needs someone to wake her up, she has an alarm for that now. She also doesn’t receive those precious good morning kisses from her mother any longer. No, now she’s used to receiving sweet and slow pecks from a certain girl every morning. A girl she loves very much; has loved for a very, _very_ long time.

A girl she’s known for almost as long as she’s known the old stuffed bear sitting next to her on the bed right now. Jihyo grabs Mr. Brown (she wasn’t a very creative four-year-old) and hugs the stuffed animal close to her. Her heart jumps in her chest, her tired brain starting to work as she thinks about that girl and what today entails for the two of them.

Today’s the day Jihyo finally gets to marry that very special girl. 

In just six hours, Jihyo will finally get to officially declare her love and devotion for the girl she’s been in love with for the past eleven years. It might seem ridiculous to think that her sixteen-year-old self was in love with someone, but Jihyo’s never been one to take her feelings lightly. In fact, she only says eleven years because that’s when she realized for the first time she was actually _in love_ . No, if Jihyo were to say how long she’s _loved_ that special girl it would be long before then. She’s probably loved her since the second her eyes first landed on the pretty girl jumping out of the moving van that was parked in front of the house across the street.

Jihyo crawls out of bed, her limbs and bones cracking as she stretches her arms above her head. With slow steps, Jihyo walks over to the window in the corner of her room, the one that has a direct view of the large, white house across the street. Much like she used to during her school days, Jihyo looks out and stares at the house.

It’s funny to think that on the second floor of that house her future wife is also sleeping in her own childhood bedroom. It wasn’t their own choice to spend the night before their wedding apart. Their mothers had both insisted on them not sleeping together the night before in order to keep tradition. (Jihyo and her fiancée had tried to explain that their _lesbian_ wedding would be anything but traditional only for their words to fall on deaf ears.)

So despite already living together in their own apartment for three years now, Jihyo had to sleep without her lover last night. It was probably the most restless bout of sleep she’s had in a long time. Her nerves for the upcoming ceremony weren’t the only thing keeping her awake. She never quite realized how much she relied on the sound of her lover’s soft snores to lull her to sleep every night. It felt so odd and unnatural to not have a strong, yet soft, pair of arms around her. 

It turns out Jihyo wasn’t the only one who had trouble sleeping alone. Sometime around 2 AM last night her phone lit up on the bedside table, the sound of its vibrations loud in the quiet night. Jihyo had sighed loudly, thinking it was one of her bridesmaids calling about some last minute problems with the wedding preparations (Mina and Tzuyu had assured her numerous times everything was already taken care of, but Jihyo’s always been one to worry). Without even opening her eyes she stuck her arm out, blindly flailing around until her hand landed on the vibrating cell phone. She swiped up to accept the call and put the phone to her ear.

“What?” Jihyo’s voice was croaky with tiredness.

_“There’s my bride-to-be. You always have had such a way with words ‘Hyo.”_

That voice. She knew that voice. Even if it was low and rough from lack of sleep she could tell who that voice belonged to. It’s the same voice she hears complain every morning when Jihyo wakes it’s owner up. It’s the same voice that sends sparks of joy shooting through her veins everytime she hears it.

“Nayeon.” Her name came out of Jihyo’s mouth in a whisper. It’s one of Jihyo’s favorite words, that name. It tastes sweet on her tongue every time she says it. Even when they’re in argument Nayeon’s name will leave a bittersweet tingle behind in Jihyo’s mouth when she calls it. _Nayeon, my love._

 _“That’s my name.”_ Nayeon let out a low chuckle. It reverberated deep inside Jihyo, traveling down to her toes that curled up in response. 

Jihyo giggled, biting her lip. Trust Nayeon to be in a playful mood, even in the middle of the night. “That is your name, smartass. Why’d you call? I don’t really think this is allowed.” 

They had been sworn away from seeing each other since the rehearsal dinner ended that night and Jihyo was pretty certain that meant any form of communication was off limits. Their mothers allowed for them to give each other one last kiss before they were swept away to their respective homes. Jihyo had tried to keep the kiss as PG as possible considering a good majority of their friends and family had been surrounding them. But Nayeon, _oh Nayeon_ , had taken it upon herself to try and slip some tongue in, making Jihyo worry what she might try to pull when they’re actually at the altar. 

_“Eh, probably not but don’t worry. They won’t know anyways.”_

“Hmm, you’re right. It’s pretty stupid they’re making us do this anyways.” Jihyo loves both of their mothers but making them have a _traditional_ wedding was just plain ridiculous. Jihyo didn’t really care for all the fanfare; if she had it her way the two of them would have just put on some nice clothes and gone down to the courthouse.

_“Pretty stupid is puting it lightly. We’re anything but traditional. Your mom would be so disappointed to know I’ve taken your innocence already.”_

“I’m pretty sure she’s figured that out by now.”

“You never know.”

They shared another chuckle, their laughs filtering off into pleasant silence. It relaxed Jihyo to just lie there and listen to the sound of static mix with Nayeon’s breathing. When she closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into her covers it was easy for Jihyo to imagine that Nayeon were right there beside her. 

_“I missed you. That’s why I called by the way.”_ Nayeon’s voice crackled through the speaker.

“You miss me? We were together just four hours ago.” 

_“I know. Doesn’t mean I can’t miss you. It’s hard to sleep without you.”_

A warm fuzzy feeling flooded through Jihyo’s heart after hearing that. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one feeling that way. She yawned, a sloppy smile forming on her face. “I know. I can’t sleep either.” 

So they spent the rest of the night on the phone with each other, sometimes speaking sometimes just listening to the other breathe, until they both were able to fall asleep. Well Jihyo assumes they both fell asleep. She doesn’t remember ending the call, but when she had turned off her alarm this morning the call had already ended—the timestamp on it had read two hours and thirty-five minutes. She must’ve fallen asleep first. Jihyo hopes Nayeon had ended up at least getting some sleep. The last thing Jihyo would want is for her bride to fall asleep as they’re saying their vows.

Jihyo sighs as she looks at Nayeon’s family home across the street. Sadly Nayeon’s room was on the side of the house, so Jihyo wasn’t able to try and peer in through the window to see what she was up to. Hopefully she was getting some much needed rest before the crazy day ahead of them.

This day has been in the works for months, maybe even years depending on how you look at things. It’s crazy to think that very soon Jihyo will be able to call Nayeon her wife. It’s been a journey for them to get to where they are now. A very long and tiresome journey with many twists and turns and ups and downs. A journey that Jihyo’s been on ever since she was five-years-old. It’s easy for Jihyo to picture the start of that journey, as she stares at the walkway leading up to the Im family house. 

It had all started there just twenty-two years ago, when Jihyo—who had been playing house with her stuffed animals in her own front yard—had spotted a moving van driving up to the house across the street. She remembers it vividly, seeing a man and a woman carrying a small baby exit the van followed by the prettiest girl Jihyo had ever seen wearing a bright red dress…

* * *

**Summer of 2002 - Jihyo’s Playtime - Jihyo’s Family Home**

The hot summer sun beams down on Jihyo, the heat only escalating the situation at hand. She was currently trying to dissolve an argument between Mr. Brown and Fluffy the Bunny. Whenever they play house those two always seem to be up in arms with each other. Just as Jihyo is about to make Fluffy go sit in time out she hears the rumbling of a vehicle coming down the street. The engine is loud, causing Jihyo to jump and look for the cause of the sound. She spots a large van and watches it slowly come to a stop at the house directly across the street from hers. The van has a little car attached to the back of it causing Jihyo to giggle. It reminds her of the train and caboose toy set she got for Christmas last year. She wonders if it’s as fun to drive the large van with the tiny car attached as it is for her to play with her toy train. (Probably not, her toy train is the best ever.)

The front door to the van opens up and a tall man climbs out of it. It’s someone Jihyo’s never seen before, definitely not the little old man or his wife who lived across from them before. She vaguely remembers overhearing her mom talking to her dad about their neighbors moving away last week so she assumes this man must be her new neighbor. The couple that lived there before were always so nice to Jihyo, the old woman would always come out to give her a piece of candy whenever she saw Jihyo playing outside. Jihyo hopes the new neighbors are just as nice.

Part of Jihyo wants to go up and say ‘Hi’, because she loves making new friends. Her mom told her never to talk to strangers though, so she decides to just sit and watch. After the man exits the car Jihyo watches him walk around to help a pretty lady with long hair down and out of the vehicle. She’s carrying a carseat just like the one Jihyo’s mom had for her little sister when she was first born. 

_So they have a baby!_ Jihyo thinks happily. She loves babies. Her little baby sister being born was one of the best things to ever happen to Jihyo. Her sister is almost two now so she’s not so much of a baby anymore. Maybe if she’s good today she can ask her mom later to see if they can go visit the new family. She’d love to play with the baby and see if she can make it laugh by pulling funny faces. Jihyo was really good at doing that, she always got her little sister to laugh that way.

It turns out the baby in the car seat isn’t the only child the new family has. Jihyo finds herself gasping in awe as one more person steps out of the van.

A young girl that looks around her age hops down, her pretty red dress flowing in the wind. Her long brown hair is decorated with a nice red bow to match her dress. She looks just like a doll Jihyo would see in a store window. Fluffy falls to the ground, forgotten and sad, as Jihyo stares in awe at the most beautiful girl she’s ever seen.

She _definitely_ has to ask her mom to take her to meet the new neighbors.

It seems Jihyo’s mom read her mind, because just a second later her mother is walking out of their own home with Jihyo’s little sister on her hip.

“Jihyo, why don’t you pack up your toys and take them inside. I think we should go say ‘hi’ to our new neighbors.” 

Jihyo nods her head rapidly. She quickly bundles Mr. Brown, Stuffy and the rest of her stuffed animals into the picnic blanket she had been playing on. She runs inside her home and dashes up the stairs towards her room. She shucks the bundle on her bed and runs back out of the room in a flash. Her mom will probably get mad later if she comes in and discovers that Jihyo didn’t properly put everything away, but that doesn’t matter to Jihyo right now. 

All that matters is meeting her pretty new neighbor and learning her name.

Hand in hand with her mother, Jihyo walks over to greet their new neighbors. (Not without checking both ways before crossing the street first, obviously.) 

The family is standing at the back of the van, the car now moved to its proper place in the driveway. The father is unloading boxes off the truck, the pretty girl helping him out as much as possible. The mom stands to the side, the baby in her arms and out of the carseat. Jihyo’s mom greets them first.

“Hello, you must be the new neighbors. My name is Mi-ja it’s nice to meet you. This is my youngest daughter Jiyoung and this,” she holds up her hand still grasping on to Jihyo’s, “is my eldest Jihyo. We live right across from you.”

“Oh, Mi-ja you say? You’re Korean then?” The woman asks speaking in fluent Korean. 

“Yes, we are. It’ll be nice to have another Korean family in the area.” Jihyo’s mom replies. Jihyo perks up at this, excited to hear her native tongue. Jihyo only speaks Korean at home with her family, whenever she’s at daycare she speaks in English. If the mom speaks Korean then that must mean the pretty girl can as well. Excitement and anticipation run through Jihyo's body, it’ll be nice to have a friend near her age she can speak Korean with.

“Well it’s nice to meet you all. I’m sorry we can’t give a proper greeting right now. I told my husband that we should’ve hired a moving crew, but he insisted we could do this all on our own.” The woman rolls her eyes gesturing towards the man now covered with sweat. She reaches forward and shakes Jihyo’s mother’s hand. “My name is Se-ah and that’s my husband Jihoon and our eldest, Nayeon. This little one right here is Seoyeon.”

Jihyo tunes out the ensuing conversation between the two older women. She’s no longer interested in little baby Seoyeon her mother is now cooing over, her attention turning toward the pretty girl in the red dress. Jihyo has gotten all the information she needs; she now has a name to put with the girl’s face. 

_Nayeon._

A pretty name for a pretty girl.

“Nayeon.” Jihyo says slowly, testing out the new girl’s name. It feels nice to say, a smile spreading across her mouth as she says it again. “Nayeon.”

“Huh?” Said girl asks while walking over to Jihyo. She has set down the box she had been carrying now, dusting her hands off on her dress. “How do you know my name?”

“Your mommy told me.” Jihyo states happily. She offers her hand out towards the other girl, her bright smile still on her face. “My name’s really Jisoo, but I go by Jihyo.”

Nayeon stares at Jihyo’s hand tentatively. Eventually she decides to reach out and grasp it with her own. “Why don’t you use your real name?”

Jihyo shrugs, “‘Dunno. I just always have.”

It’s silent for a moment after they finish shaking hands. Nayeon kicks the gravel on the road staring at the ground awkwardly. Sometimes it’s hard to make new friends like this. Jihyo’s come across shy people at daycare before. She’s not the best at getting shy kids to talk but she’s determined to make Nayeon her friend. 

“I really like your dress. It’s very pretty.” Jihyo tries out a compliment. She knows it always makes her happy when people say nice things to her. 

“Thanks.” Nayeon says. She trails her eyes up and down Jihyo’s figure. “I, uh, like your shoes.”

 _She likes my shoes! This pretty girl likes my shoes._ Jihyo thinks, smiling down at her sparkly rainbow sneakers. She’s glad she decided to wear them today.

“Thanks. My daddy got me them for my birthday. Watch this.” Jihyo stomps her foot down on the ground, making lights on the sole of the shoes sparkle and light up. 

“Wow,” Nayeon gasps out coming closer to look at the spectacle. “That’s so cool!”

“Right?” Jihyo’s chest puffs out with pride. It’s nice to know she’s impressed the other. 

Now that she has the girl’s attention she needs to keep talking, that way she can seal the deal on their friendship. “How old are you, Nayeon? I’m five.”

“I’m seven.”

“That means you’re my _unnie_ then!” Jihyo giggles out, “Nayeon-unnie. Does that mean you go to big kid school then?”

“Yep, I’m in second grade.”

“I get to start Kindergarten this year! We can ride the bus to school together.”

“Okay.” Nayeon nods, smiling up at Jihyo.

Jihyo starts telling Nayeon all about how excited she is for Kindergarten. Nayeon tells her school isn’t really all that fun, which is a big surprise for Jihyo. It seems hard to believe that school wouldn’t be fun. After all her mom told her you get to play with other kids all day and do big girl things at school. Jihyo wants to believe her mom, because her mom is _always_ right, but Nayeon sounds really sure about her distaste for school. She makes a strong argument about how terrible this thing called _math_ is. Jihyo hopes she won’t have to do _math_ when she starts Kindergarten.

It’s then that Jihyo’s mom calls out to her, telling Jihyo they need to let Nayeon’s family finish unpacking. Jihyo’s shoulders slump. Just when she was finally starting to talk to Nayeon they have to leave. Unpacking is stupid and boring, she’s certain Nayeon would rather play with her. Jihyo certainly knows she wants to stay and play with her new friend forever. 

“Mommy, can Nayeon-unnie come over and play?” Jihyo whines out walking towards her mom. She looks back to where Nayeon is still standing. Thankfully the older girl looks eager and excited at the proposition. “I want her to come play house with me and Mr. Brown.”

“Oh, can I Mom?” Nayeon runs towards her own mother, jumping up and down in excitement.

“Well, that sounds like fun but maybe another time.” Nayeon’s mom caresses her head. “We still have a lot to do in our new house.”

Jihyo’s mom looks at her and nods, “Yes, we can set up a playdate for you two later, okay? You can introduce Nayeon to Mr. Brown another day.”

“Okay.” Jihyo pouts. She waves back at Nayeon. “See ya’ later Nayeon-unnie.”

Nayeon’s doll-like face is even more pretty to Jihyo when she smiles and waves back. “See ya’ Jihyo.”

Jihyo really likes the way her name sounds when it’s said in Nayeon’s pretty voice. She wants to hear Nayeon say her name again and again and again...

* * *

**October 20, 2024 - 8:30 AM - Jihyo’s Family Home**

The nostalgia continues to follow Jihyo as she makes her way downstairs. She walks down the stairs slowly, careful to avoid the faulty step close to the bottom that wobbles if you put too much pressure on it. It’s been that way for years now—her dad always talks about getting around to fixing it but never does. The scent of sesame oil and various spices fills her nostrils as she comes closer to the kitchen. Jihyo’s stomach grumbles, jumping in excitement at the distinct smell of her mother’s cooking. That’s one thing she misses about living with her family, a nice home-cooked meal. Jihyo’s own cooking skills aren’t too shabby, but nothing beats the warmth that spreads throughout her body after eating her mom’s cooking.

Just as expected, Jihyo’s is greeted with the pleasant sight of a full traditional Korean breakfast spread. Every morning before Jihyo went to school she could expect to wake up to a similar spread to the one she sees right now—rice, soup, a buttload of side dishes, the whole nine yards. So of course on such a special day as today her mother would ensure that Jihyo gets a full and hearty meal to prepare herself for the events to come.

Her mother has just set out the last side dish on the table when Jihyo stumbles in. 

“Ah, there she is. The beautiful bride.” A warm and genuine smile lights up her mother’s face as she rounds the table towards Jihyo. The smell of kimchi and her mom’s perfume surrounds Jihyo as her mom envelopes her into a tight hug. You’d think that specific scent combination would not be pleasant, but to Jihyo it’s a comforting scent. It smells like home.

Her youngest sister, Seoyeon, sits at the table and waves at Jihyo groggily—she’s obviously not too pleased at being up this early on a weekend. (Oh, how much Jihyo misses being a teenager; she’d give anything to sleep in on weekends.) Jihyo remembers how much fun she had teasing Nayeon when Seoyeon had been born. An aggravated pout formed on Nayeon’s face when Jihyo told her that her mom had named the new baby after Nayeon’s sister because she was their family’s favorite Im. Jihyo caved and told Nayeon she was only kidding not long after, but the picture of that pout and the wry bunny-toothed smile that followed were burned into the back of Jihyo’s mind forever.

“Wow, Mom this looks great. Thanks so much, really.” Jihyo leaves her mother’s embrace and ruffles Seoyeon’s hair before sitting down at the table. Her spot at the dining table has not changed even after all these years, on her mom’s right between the empty spot that belongs to Jiyoung. Despite there only being three occupants that still live in the house—her mom, dad and youngest sister—the table is still set up with five chairs year round.

“Oh no thanks needed. What kind of mom would I be if I didn’t cook for my children whenever I get the chance.” Jihyo’s mom brushes off her daughter’s praises like always. She sits down at her rightful place next to Jihyo and begins passing around the dishes. “Eat up, you have a big day ahead of you.”

A knot forms and twists in Jihyo’s stomach. Her mom is right, today _is_ a big day. 

Jihyo nods and takes the bowl of rice and soup from her mother, before starting to dig in. They eat quietly for a while, the sound of chewing and chopsticks clanking together filling the air. Her sister is the first to break the silence.

Seoyeon, now more awake and alert after getting some food in her system, asks “You nervous, _unnie_?”

Jihyo sighs and stares blankly at the table. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. Jihyo doesn’t understand how anyone wouldn’t be nervous on their wedding day. 

The ceremony itself is one thing to worry about, but the idea of marriage in general is something to send one into bouts of anxiety and anticipation. Nayeon and Jihyo have been through so many ups and downs throughout the span of their relationship—the journey to get to today definitely wasn’t an easy one. Nayeon’s been a fixture in Jihyo’s life for the majority of the time she’s spent here on earth, and today will solidify that Nayeon _continues_ to be with Jihyo for hopefully the rest of their lives. They will continue to be there for each other just as much as they will continue to have ups and downs in their relationship. It’s unreasonable to think that marriage would change that. In fact, it will probably bring new obstacles for them to overcome as a couple. Everything about their relationship will simultaneously change and stay the same today. 

That thought is very nerve wracking for Jihyo, and she's certain that Nayeon feels exactly the same. The nerves aren’t unwelcome in anyway shape or form, though. She’s not getting ‘cold feet’ or anything like that. The thrill and nervousness running through her veins just serves remind Jihyo how important the step she and Nayeon are about to take together is, how they’ll be walking hand-in-hand down a new path in their lives.

But that’s a lot to unload on a sixteen-year-old. So, Jihyo just smiles at Seoyeon and settles for a simple response. “Yeah, I am. But not in a bad way.” 

“It’s normal to feel a little nervous on your wedding day, Seoyeon,” their mother adds. She reaches over and gives Jihyo a reassuring pat on the back. “When you get married one day you’ll understand.”

“ _If_ I get married.” Seoyeon teases. She’s always been more of an independent person, and she’s not afraid to make it known.

Their mom shakes her head and chuckles, “You’re right, sorry. _If_ you get married.” 

It’s typical for a mother to want to see her children get married and have children of their own, especially a Korean mother—considering how important the family unit is in their culture. Jihyo’s eternally grateful the universe blessed them with an understanding mother. Despite her desire to keep tradition prevalent in their lives, she understands the traditional marriage model isn’t for all of her daughters. 

Especially if one of them has fallen in love with another woman.

Her mom has always been supportive of Jihyo and Nayeon’s relationship. She was the first person Jihyo confided in when she realized she was in love with her childhood friend. She was also the first person Jihyo went to when Nayeon broke her heart the first time. 

Jihyo shakes her head. She doesn’t want to dwell on bad memories. Not today when she already had so much on her plate. She could hardly stand a whiff of those pungent memories, much less delve into them full on right now.

Her mom thankfully pulls Jihyo away from her thoughts. She glances at the clock hanging on the wall and bites her lip in worry. “Jihyo, honey, I don’t want to rush you but we need to hurry. We have to be ready to leave for the venue by the time your father gets back from the airport with Jiyoung.”

Her other sister was unable to fly back in for the wedding until early this morning, she had a huge exam just yesterday that kept her from coming to the rehearsal dinner and other festivities that took place earlier in the week. Jiyoung had apologized over and over again about missing everything, but Jihyo reassured her that her studies were far more important than a stupid rehearsal dinner. 

“Right. Do you know when that will be?”

“Her plane landed at 6:30 so she should be here soon. What with the traffic in this city you never know, though.”

They return to their meal, shoveling food into their mouths as quickly as possible. It’s a shame Jihyo can’t take her time and savor her mother’s cooking. She’ll have to tell Nayeon they should come over for dinner soon after they get back from their honeymoon. Still even as she eats quickly, the distinct taste of her mother’s food tickles at her taste buds. 

Another wave of nostalgia comes over Jihyo as she remembers being rushed in a similar manner to this when she was younger. She hated riding the bus, it was noisy, stuffy and filled with far too many rowdy children. The only thing that made riding the bus even just _a tiny bit_ bearable was that Nayeon also took the bus to school. After Nayeon stopped taking the same bus as Jihyo, she started dreading the walk to the bus stop and would put it off for as long as possible. A little part of her hoped that she’d miss it ‘accidentally’ and her mom would let her stay home, but this never happened and Jihyo’s mornings would always end up in a rush.

Jihyo remembers the last time Nayeon and her ever rode the bus to school together. It was the last day of Jihyo’s sixth grade year, making it Nayeon’s last day of middle school. Nayeon was thrilled she was going to start high school next year, Jihyo couldn’t say the same for herself…

* * *

**May 2008 - 7:35 AM - First row seat of County School Bus #102**

“I’m sooo ready for high school, Hyo. Can you believe that today’s my last day of middle school? Aren’t you excited for me?” Nayeon asks Jihyo, turning her head away from the window. Nayeon’s always made sure she had the window seat, she liked looking out at the trees and houses passing by.

Jihyo can’t help but notice how pretty Nayeon looks today. Not that she doesn’t _always_ look pretty, it’s just that she looked exceptionally beautiful today. She must’ve put in a lot of effort since it was the last day of school. Her hair is up in pigtails, two different colored scrunchies adorning both sides. When she turns her head the brown strands of hair sway, the smell of her peach shampoo hitting Jihyo in the face. Numerous rubber bands and stretchy bracelets adorn her arm; they’re the kind that all the cool kids wear right now—the ones that morph into different shapes and animals when you take them off. 

Jihyo sighs and looks down at her bare arms, wishing she had some of her own. She’s not as cool as Nayeon is after all. The denim overalls and bright pink bow her mother dressed her in this morning make that obvious. Jihyo turned eleven just three months ago. She’s not a little kid anymore, it’s about time she starts dressing herself. Maybe she can convince her mom to let her starting next school year.

“Yeah, it’s really cool unnie.”

Jihyo’s lying through her teeth, she’s not excited about Nayeon starting high school. Not excited one bit. She’s heard Nayeon go on and on about how thrilled she is about becoming a ninth grader, though, and there’s no way Jihyo would burst her bubble. 

“Right? In two years you’ll be there with me too! Don’t worry though, I’ll let you know all the ins and outs about it before you come.”

Jihyo sighs internally. She’s known this was going to happen, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. She doesn’t understand why Nayeon is excited about going to high school anyways. The school is big and scary, and they don’t even have recess in high school. (Little does Jihyo know that she’ll be devastated in a few months when school starts up again and she finds out that seventh graders don’t have recess either.) The worst part though is that the high school is all the way on the other side of town. So, not only will Nayeon be in a different school, she won’t even be riding the bus with Jihyo anymore. 

Nothing about that sounds _fun_ at all. How can high school be all that great, if it takes Nayeon away from her?

It doesn’t matter though, it’s just two years that they’ll have to spend apart. After that they’ll get to spend the rest of their lives together. 

At that’s something Jihyo’s certain about.

Last week her best friend in homeroom—Mina—taught Jihyo how to play a game called MASH. It tells you your future: what kind of house you’ll live in, what your job will be, how many kids you’ll have and—most importantly—who you’ll get married to. Jihyo was pretty satisfied with the outcome of her round. They might have to have fifty kids and live in a shack, but at least Jihyo will get to marry Nayeon.

“You won’t forget about me next year, Nayeon unnie? Right?” Jihyo can complain and trash talk high school all she wants in her head, but in reality the only thing she’s really worried about is Nayeon forgetting her. She didn’t have to worry about this a few years ago when Nayeon went onto middle school and left Jihyo behind in elementary school. The two schools were close to each other, so Nayeon still rode the bus with Jihyo. Even though they’ve always been in different grades and never got to see each other much during the school day, they always had their special time together on the bus. It was a time that Jihyo has always cherished and is desperately afraid of losing. 

The corner of Nayeon’s lips turn downwards at Jihyo’s question. She places a hand on Jihyo’s shoulder and shakes her head. “Of course, not Jihyo. How could I forget you?”

Jihyo averts her eyes, unable to stare directly into Nayeon’s for too long. The butterflies are back again, the ones that dance up into her ribcage threatening to burst out through her chest whenever Nayeon looks at her or touches her. _A crush._ That is what her feelings towards Nayeon are, a crush. At least that’s what Mina said it was whenever Jihyo asked about the funny feeling she gets in her chest when she’s around Nayeon.

“I don’t know. It’s just that you’re gonna meet lots of new people I was worried you wouldn’t want to remember a stupid kid in middle school like me.” Jihyo replies, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. 

She hopes Nayeon doesn’t notice. It’s not like she can blame it on makeup, Jihyo’s mom won’t let her wear it yet. Unlike Nayeon who started wearing the best smelling cherry lip gloss this year. Jihyo’s never borrowed it before, afraid her mom would somehow find out (Mom’s know about everything after all). Nayeon’s let her take a whiff of it before though, and the scent was so sweet and yummy. Jihyo wonders if it tastes good too.

Nayeon doesn’t notice the blush on Jihyo’s cheeks, or if she does, she doesn’t say anything. Instead she grabs a hold of Jihyo’s hand and squeezes it tight. Jihyo still unable to look at Nayeon, looks at their interlocked hands. She notes the bright blue nail polish on Nayeon’s fingernails and sighs. Jihyo can’t wear nail polish for longer than a day without wanting to pick at it; the chipped paint on her own nails looks pathetic next to Nayeon’s beautiful polish.

“I could never forget about you, Jihyo. Never ever.”

Jihyo had been confused at first. She had always thought that girls were supposed to like boys. Her mom liked her dad and in all the fairy tales she heard growin up princesses like princes. That’s just the way things always were. But Mina explained to her that that isn’t always the case. Mina’s mom had told her before that sometimes princesses like other princesses and princes like other princes. When she put it like that, Jihyo had to admit it made sense.

So Jihyo came to accept the fact that she had a crush on Nayeon. She was always too embarrassed to tell the elder, though. Nayeon was way too pretty and cool, there’s no way Jihyo could just tell her that. Just thinking about having to face Nayeon everyday after telling her something that embarrassing makes Jihyo cringe.

A lightbulb goes off in Jihyo’s head realization dawning on her. Since Nayeon’s going to high school next year, Jihyo won’t have to face her everyday. This is basically giving her a free pass to just confess to Nayeon right now and be done with it. 

Nayeon is still her neighbor and their families are fairly close. They definitely will see each other in the coming future, at a dinner or something. But Jihyo doesn't think about that right now. All she can think about is the way her heart is pounding in her chest and how her palm clutched in Nayeon’s hand is beginning to sweat profusely.

“I like you.”

As much as it is a relief to finally have it out in the open, nervous jitters now accompany the butterflies in her stomach. She can’t believe she just did that, just told the prettiest girl in their entire school—probably the entire world—that she liked her. Mina probably won’t believe it either when Jihyo tells her about it. They’re gonna have _so much_ to talk about during recess now. 

The response Nayeon gives isn’t what Jihyo expected.

“I like you too, Jihyo. You’re one of my favorite friends.”

Jihyo shakes her head, finally bringing her eyes up to meet Nayeon’s. The elder has a bright smile on her face, her braces flashing brightly in the early morning sunlight. The rubber bands in between them are colored purple now, Nayeon’s favorite color. Nayeon complained over and over again when she had to get them last year, saying they were ugly and no one would like her with them in. Jihyo didn’t really understand the fuss. She thinks the braces are cool, just like everything Nayeon does. 

(She went home after seeing them and asked her mom if she could also get braces. To her utter disappoint her mom denied the request.)

“No, not like that.” Jihyo bites her bottom lip, her feet swing back and forth through the air nervously (she’s too short to sit all the way back and have her feet touch the ground). “I...like-like you, unnie. You know how girls usually like boys, well Mina told me that girls can also like girls. And that’s how I like you.”

The air between them feels stale and awkward as Nayeon takes in what Jihyo just said. The rumbling of the bus’ engine and shouts and hollers of the other student’s behind them fills the air, but all that fades into the background. The sound of Jihyo’s heart thumping in her head is much louder. She gulps and waits for Nayeon to respond.

 _Oh, no. This was a mistake. She’s going to hate me, she’s going to think I’m weird._ _Mina did say some people don’t think it’s right for girls to like girls. What if Nayeon thinks like that? She’s gonna tell me to leave her alone and not talk to her once I get into high school._

Jihyo’s in the middle of wondering how they’ll be able to live in a shack together with their fifty children if Nayeon hates her when Nayeon eventually responds.

She rubs the back of her head and shrugs awkwardly, “Well, Hyo, I’m sorry but I don’t like you that way. There’s someone else I like. A girl in my class actually.”

It’s not the hate she was afraid of, but that doesn’t mean the disappointment doesn’t hit Jihyo hard. The butterflies inside shrivel in on themselves, their wings crumple and turn to dust as they fall to the pit of Jihyo’s stomach.

“Y-you like a girl in your class?”

“Mhmm, I’m really sorry Jihyo. I still like you as a friend. Is that okay?”

Jihyo doesn’t have it in her to ask Nayeon who it is that she likes. She will probably find out eventually anyways, if Nayeon ever tells the girl there’s no way she’d get rejected. How could anyone _not_ like Nayeon? 

The rejection stings but Jihyo doesn’t let it keep her down for long. Someone else might be the object of Nayeon’s affections now, but she’s still going to marry Jihyo in the end. Mina said that the outcomes of MASH we’re definite. So even though Nayeon doesn’t like Jihyo back right now, eventually they’ll end up together. Jihyo perks up and tells Nayeon exactly this.

“Yeah, it’s okay unnie. Because you’re gonna marry me anyways.”

Nayeon chokes, eyes widening as she stares at Jihyo bewildered. “What? Marry?”

Jihyo simply nods, shurgging. “Yeah, we’re gonna get married when we’re older. I’m glad you like girls too, cause that would’ve been weird if you didn’t.”

“Jihyo. We’re not getting married.” Nayeon laughs, shaking her head. 

“No, we really are. I know we are.”

“No, we’re not. Girls can’t even marry each other.”

“No, we are going to. They’ll make an exception for us they have to. Or maybe by then girls will be able to marry each other.” 

She doesn’t understand why this is such a hard fact for Nayeon to wrap her head around. They have to get married, the game said so. Mina told her the game worked, and if Mina said it then it’s definitely true. Mina wouldn’t tell Jihyo a lie, they’re best friends.

“Jihyo stop playing around. You can’t seriously think that.” Nayeon shakes her head and turns to look back out the window. They’re almost at school, they just passed by the church that was a block away from the campus.

“I’m not playing, here I’ll even bet you. 20 dollars. If we get married you owe me, if we don’t I owe you.” 

“You don’t even have 20 dollars, Jihyo.”

“Not yet, but I’ll have time to save. It’s not like we’ll get married tomorrow.” Jihyo reaches into her backpack and pulls out her journal. If she wants this bet to be official they need it in paper.

Jihyo jots down the rules of the bet, underlining the big amount of 20 dollars three times for emphasis. If Nayeon does in fact marry Jihyo she’s required to give Jihyo the money the day of the ceremony, but if one of them ends up marrying someone else Jihyo has to give Nayeon the money before the ceremony of that wedding. At the bottom of the page Jihyo puts two lines for them to write their signatures on. 

She writes her name down first, the sparkly ink of her purple gel pen bleeding a little. She hands the pen over to Nayeon and holds out the page.

“This is stupid, but okay.” Nayeon takes the pen and scribbles her name down, adding a heart on the end of her signature. 

_Even her handwriting is pretty._

Jihyo rips out the page and hands it over for Nayeon to keep. Nayeon folds it and stuffs it in her backpack. Just as she hands the pen back to Jihyo, the bus pulls up to the curb in front of their school.

This is it. Their last bus ride together, is coming to an end. Maybe in two years when Jihyo finally gets to high school they’ll find themselves together on the bus again. Jihyo doubts this though, by that time Nayeon will be sixteen and will probably have a driver’s license and car of her own. 

Jihyo lets all the kids from the back file out in front of them, savoring the last few moments she gets with Nayeon on the bus. The next two years will be hell alone on this stupid bus, she wants to cherish this last ride with Nayeon. Maybe Jihyo can somehow convince Mina’s parents to move closer so that they can ride the same bus to school? She tacks that thought onto the list of things she needs to tell Mina during homeroom this morning.

Eventually everyone has filed off and Jihyo eventually has to stand. She slowly gathers her things and walks off, throwing a wave and a ‘thank you’ at the bus driver. None of the other kids ever thank him, but her parents told her to always show her gratefulness when someone does something for her. 

The two girls walk up to the entrance of the school building together. They’ll have to separate soon, and go off to the areas designated for their grades. Jihyo sometimes wishes she were the same age as Nayeon, if only her Mom had her two years earlier.

“Bye, Hyo.” Nayeon calls out waving at Jihyo as she walks off. 

Nayeon’s friend—Jeongyeon—zooms past Jihyo as she enters the school building. She lives on the other side of town from them, so her bus must have just arrived. She calls out to Nayeon, quickly catching up to her before linking their arms together. Jihyo has always thought Jeongyeon was pretty, her short hair frames her face nicely and her sharp eyes always demand attention. Jihyo doesn’t know her personality that well since it was always so hard to hang out with the older kids at school, but she assumes Jeongyeon has to be nice if Nayeon is friends with her.

_What if she’s the girl Nayeon likes?_

It’s a possibility Jihyo doesn’t want to dwell on for too long.

Before the two older girls can disappear from Jihyo’s sight, she suddenly remembers something.

“Wait!” Jihyo shouts before running after Nayeon. She’s glad a hall monitor is nowhere insight. She’d definitely get clocked for running in the halls, and she doesn’t want to spend the last day of school in detention.

Nayeon turns around, the pretty red skirt she has on flowing out around her gracefully. “What?”

“Pinky promise.” Jihyo breathes out, “We need to pinky promise.”

Nayeon raises and eyebrow, “What on the bet? I thought that’s what the paper was for?”

“No, not the bet. Pinky promise that you won’t forget me in high school. Like you said earlier.” Jihyo extends her hand out, pinky finger up high in the air waiting for Nayeon’s to wrap around it.

Nayeon smiles down at Jihyo, the pretty purple bands of her braces showing again. She unlinks her arm from Jeongyeon moves closer to Jihyo, extending out her own hand. It’s much larger than Jihyo’s, who still hasn’t had her growth spurt yet. Her pinky wraps around Jihyo’s, engulfing it. 

“Of course I won’t forget you. Pinky promise.”

* * *

**October 20, 2024 - 10:05 AM - Twiceland Hotel and Resorts Room #0115**

Jihyo coughs out, bending over in her chair. Her makeup artist had been in the middle of spritzing setting spray across Jihyo’s face when Jihyo decided it was a good idea to breathe in. 

That definitely was _not_ a good idea. The floral flavor attacking the taste buds on her tongue making that obvious.

Mina, who’s still one Jihyo’s closest friends long after middle school, rushes over. She pats Jihyo’s back, worry evident in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jihyo waves her off. “Just drank some setting spray accidentally. Wouldn’t recommend it, a little too rosey for me.”

Mina sighs out in relief, placing her hand on her chest. “You scared me there for a second. We can’t have you dying on your wedding day.”

“Trust me, I’m fine. I swear you’d think it’s your wedding day considering how on edge you’ve been all day.” 

“Well since you’re not a worried mess, one of us has to be. Let’s see if you’ll be that way when Dahyun and I get married. Besides your mom is more worried than I am, I’m sure she’s running around out there with Nayeon’s mom making sure everything’s just right.”

“You’re right about that.” Jihyo shakes her head, her mom immediately went into mother of the bridezilla mode the moment they stepped foot in the venue. Mama Park wants everything to be perfect for her eldest daughter. 

Jihyo turns to the makeup artist to see if she’s finished with everything. When the woman says yes and begins packing up her equipment, Jihyo thanks her and stands up from the chair. She raises an eyebrow at Mina, “Also, speaking of you and Dahyun...you guys thinking about tying the knot?”

Mina had been dating the younger girl for a while now. They met during their university days and immediately clicked. They even live together in an apartment in the city, about an hour’s drive away from Jihyo. 

“Not any time soon. We’ve talked about it before, but I want to get in a more stable place in my career before thinking about marriage.”

Jihyo nods, such a level headed response. It’s what she’s come to expect from her friend by now. Gone are the days of them letting a game decided their future.

Jihyo turns and walks towards the full length mirror on the other side of the room and takes in her appearance. 

She looks like a bride that’s for sure.

The dress and veil are still in the garment bag laid out across the bed, but that doesn’t detract from the overall bridal look Jihyo has going on. Her makeup is simple and elegant, highlighting her features just right without taking all the attention. Jihyo is a fan of fancy makeup when the time is right, but she wanted to look like herself today. Half of her hair is twisted into plaits that wrap around and are secured to the back of her head with a clip her mother gave her. The rest of her hair falls down in loose waves, stopping at just above her shoulders. She’s kept to keeping her hair short ever since she cut it in college, it’s much easier to maintain it that way.

“You look amazing, Jihyo.” Mina whispers, standing behind Jihyo. 

“Thank you.” Jihyo blushes, she’s never been the best at taking compliments, so she gives one back. “You look amazing too, the purple was a good choice for the dresses.”

Mina looks down at the knee-length purple dress she has on and nods. Though, it isn’t typical for traditional Korean weddings to have bridesmaids, Jihyo and Nayeon had decided it would be nice to incorporate their friends and loved ones into the ceremony. So somewhere in the hotel, both Nayeon and Jihyo’s sisters along with a few of their friends are running around wearing the same dress as Mina. 

Jihyo claps her hands together. As nice as it is to bask in each others beauty, she still has a wedding she needs to get dressed for. “Alright, all we need to do now is get the dress on me.” 

She turns and looks at the garment bag lying on the bed. The puffy dress inside looks like such an intimidating task to conquer. She’s not too sure the two of them alone can get it onto Jihyo’s small frame. Both Jihyo and Nayeon had opted to wear western style wedding dresses for the ceremony rather than the traditional hanbok. They’ll both wear beautiful and intricate traditional dress during the _pyebaek_ later in the evening, anyways. 

The clock on the table reads 10:15. Meaning they have less than an hour left until they need to get to the ceremony. Jihyo’s sisters—who had been in the room earlier and were supposed to help with getting her ready—are nowhere to be found. This leaves the monstrous task of getting the dress on Jihyo up to just Mina and herself. She has half a mind to ask Mina to call in her girlfriend for back-up but decides against it. Dahyun was probably busy hanging out with their other friends from college, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. The two had just flown in the night before, and Dahyun and Mina were playing host for them.

Besides, Jihyo and Mina are both two strong women, they can do this on their own.

She looks at Mina, then back at the dress. Cracks her knuckles and pushes her shoulders back.

They can do this. 

It takes a good thirty minutes of pushing, tugging, and cursing but eventually Jihyo gets the dress on. She’s just finished putting the veil on, when three knocks sound on the door. 

_Who could that be?_ Jihyo’s mother and sisters all have key cards to the room so they wouldn’t need to knock. She turns and looks at Mina in question. Mina just shrugs and walks towards the door.

“Yes?” Mina asks before peering into the peep hole.

“There’s an emergency! Uh, one that Jihyo needs to attend to. They told me to come get her.”

Jihyo doesn’t even need Mina to tell who that is, she’d know that voice anywhere.

“Sana?” Jihyo calls out walking to the door. 

Mina opens it up and right in front of the two stands Nayeon’s maid of honor Sana. She’s dressed in a purple dress of her own that matches Mina’s, a worried smile adorning her features.

She reaches forward and grabs Jihyo’s arm, “Hey, Jihyo. You need to come with me. Something happened that only you can fix.”

“What? They need me?” That doesn’t sound right. Jihyo has as little to do with the affairs of this ceremony as possible. Why would anyone need her help when they could easily ask her mom? 

“Yes, you. Only you. Sorry Mina, I can’t take you.” Sana flashes Mina an apologetic smile before yanking on Jihyo’s arm and dashing off down the hall.

“Wait, she doesn’t have her shoes on yet!” Mina’s worried voice floats down the hall.

“Just bring them to the wedding hall. This shouldn’t take too long, I’ll have her there in time!” Sana shouts over shoulder. 

It’s difficult for Jihyo to keep up with Sana, the dress constricting some of her movements. She has to hike it up with her free hand in order to keep from tripping on the tulle. It’s astonishing that Sana’s able to run at such a high speed while wearing 4-inch heels. 

“Where are you taking me?” Jihyo asks. They already passed by the hallway that would lead them in the direction of the ballroom the ceremony was supposed to take place. _If there was a wedding emergency wouldn’t we need to go there?_

“Somewhere important!”

“Want to be more specific?”

“No, not really!”

Jihyo was starting to breathe heavily. Running in a seven pound dress for an extended period of time wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. Just when Jihyo thinks she’s going to have to ask Sana to slow down, they approach a stairwell at the backside of the hotel.

“Stairs? You’ve got to be kidding me Sana.”

“Sorry, but I can’t let anyone see you right now. So no elevators for you. C’mon, we have to be quick.” Sana pushes her into the stairwell and gestures for her to go up. “I’m the one in heels, Hyo. Shouldn’t I be the one complaining?”

“You’re the one making us do this!” Jihyo chuckles out at the absurdity of the situation. Trust Sana to kidnap her the day of her wedding and not have the audacity to explain why.

It’s funny really, how close she is to Sana now after everything that happened in highschool. She would have never expected she’d be having such a heartfelt conversation with someone she used to consider her enemy. Fifteen-year-old Jihyo would be shaking in her battered red converse if she knew this was happening…

* * *

**March 13th, 2012- 5:35 PM - JYP High School Auditorium**

“You need to wipe that sneer off your face, Hyo. You’re being ridiculous,” Mina pushes Jihyo’s shoulder, causing her to bump into the clothing rack next to her.

Jihyo tears her eyes away from the stage, giving Mina a dirty look. Here she goes again, lecturing Jihyo about how she shouldn’t hate Sana Minatozaki. How Sana’s actually a really nice person and Jihyo would see that if she would just get over her grudge she has against the junior. 

The problem is Jihyo will never get over her grudge. 

How was she supposed to when Sana stole Nayeon away from her?

Jihyo stares bitterly at the stage where Sana is, going through the rehearsal for their school’s musical. Sana didn’t get a major role. No Nayeon got the part of female lead this time, but she’s standing on stage singing along happily with Nayeon and the others. Jihyo could easily be up there, if it wasn’t for her stage fright. Which is why she’s back here in the rafters, a part of the costume department with Mina.

It had been Jihyo’s idea, for the both of them to join the theatre department their freshman year. Nayeon had always raved about how fun theatre was, so Jihyo wanted to give it a try. (She definitely did not only join to have an excuse to be closer to Nayeon. Nope that was certainly not the reason.) During the audition for the production of _the Little Mermaid_ last year Jihyo had clammed up onstage, terrified by the lights and eyes beaming down on her. So acting with Nayeon ended up being impossible, but she decided to join the tech team in order to still be a part of the department. She and Mina discovered they really enjoyed sewing and knitting, so the costume department had been the perfect fit.

And while she loved the work and obviously enjoyed spending time with Nayeon, being a part of the department also meant she had to see Sana, Nayeon’s girlfriend, constantly.

It turned out that girl Nayeon had a crush was none other than Sana. The adorable and sweet girl Nayeon had gym class with her eighth grade year. When Sana went to high school the year after Nayeon, the elder confessed and the two immediately started dating. Jihyo had tried and tried and tried to get over her crush on Nayeon. It had proven to be an impossible task though, and what she thought was just a simple middle school crush bloomed into an intense pining for the other.

While her feelings for Nayeon have not faded in the least, Jihyo prides herself on being a decent person. She might not like the fact that Sana is dating Nayeon, but she wouldn’t try and break them up. Maybe when Nyeon graduates and gets ready to move to college, she’ll finally say something to Nayeon about her feelings.

For now though, she’ll take to just sitting back in the rafters and letting her disdain for Sana grow.

“Don’t start with me now, Mina. I don’t care if she’s nice to you. I can’t stand her.” Jihyo crosses her arms and huffs. “I mean just look at her. Who does she think she is? Dyeing her hair blonde and walking around like she’s fucking Barbie.”

“I think she’s prettier than Barbie, though.”

“That’s not the point!” Jihyo throws her hands up. “The point is that she took Nayeon from me.”

Mina places her hand on her, tutting at Jihyo. “I don’t think _she’s_ the one that took Nayeon from you. No one did. It’s not her fault that Nayeon likes her and she likes Nayeon back. What was she supposed to do? Reject her?”

“Yes. Obviously.” Jihyo knows she sounds ridiculous and immature, but she can’t help it. Her blood boils when she looks back at the stage and sees Sana’s bright smile. 

_The nerve of that girl._

How can she smile when Jihyo feels this terribly. Her longing for Nayeon only grows each day, and there’s no sign of it stopping anytime soon.

Mina places a hand on Jihyo’s shoulder comfortingly. “You know, having all that anger isn’t good for you. Especially when it’s directed at the wrong person.” 

“Wrong person? Who am I supposed to be mad at then?” 

“I think you’re actually mad at yourself. For not telling Nayeon how you feel.” 

Mina’s gaze is serious when Jihyo turns to look at her. She squeezes Jihyo’s shoulder.

“I know you don’t want to try and break them up. And I’m not telling you to do that, but you should tell Nayeon how you feel. I don’t think it’s smart to keep all this pent up inside.”

Jihyo’s gaze shifts down to the red Converse on her feet. She had gotten them as a Christmas present her eighth grade year and has worn them basically every day since. The one growth spurt she had during the summer between seventh and eighth grade was the last time she’s grown, so the shoes still fit.

Mina’s right. Jihyo’s actually mad at herself. 

She’s mad at herself for being a coward. Her fear kept her from standing on stage besides Nayeon, and now it keeps her from telling Nayeon her true feelings.

“I’m also really tired of hearing you complain about Sana all the time. It’s getting _old._ ”

Jihyo looks up and shoves Mina’s shoulder for the comment. She’s grateful for the joke though, she’s certain Mina could see the turmoil going on inside Jihyo’s head.

“You’re right, though. I am mad at myself.”

Mina just nods and wraps an arm around Jihyo. Her presence is calming and steady. Jihyo’s glad she has Mina as a best friend.

“I’ll tell her soon.”

Mina holds out her pinky finger in front of Jihyo. Without a word Jihyo understands and wraps her own pinky around it. 

_I promise._

***

Soon turns out to be a week later, on the opening night of their musical in fact. The show had just finished and the actors were taking off their costumes and makeup when Jihyo pulled Nayeon aside. They’re in a lone hallway off the side of the auditorium, Jihyo standing in front of Nayeon with her hands behind her back gripping the bouquet in her hand.

“You wanted to talk to me?” Nayeon asks, smiling at Jihyo. Her braces are gone now, two rows of perfect white teeth left behind. With or without them, Jihyo still thinks Nayeon’s the prettiest girl she’s ever seen.

“Yeah,” Jihyo coughs and brings the bouquet out from behind her back. “I got you these. You did great out there, unnie.”

“Thanks, Hyo. You’re so sweet.” Nayeon takes the bouquet and sniffs it, humming in content. She envelopes Jihyo into a tight embrace.

When Nayeon lets her go she asks “Is that all you wanted to say?”

“Actually, there’s something else I need to tell you.” Jihyo fiddles with the sleeves of the black sweater she’s wearing, her eyes shifting down to her trusty Converse. “It’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while.”

“Okay…”

“Do you remember when we were in middle school, the last day of eighth grade for you actually, and I told you that I liked you?” 

Nayeon chuckles, “Oh yeah I do. You were so cute, Hyo.”

Jihyo’s cheeks burn just like they did that day four years ago. Her palms are sweating too, but she doesn’t have any of the confidence she had back then.

“I-I still like you, unnie. I like you a lot. I think I might be in love with you.”

Nayeon’s smile disappears slowly, the bouquet dropping down to her side limply.

Blood rushes to Jihyo’s head, washing around in loud waves that crush against her eardrums. She feels sick, but holds it back. Confessing is already embarrassing, no need to vomit and make it worse.

She knows what Nayeon is going to say. She knows she’s going to be rejected for a second time, but that doesn’t make it sting any less.

“I...I’m so sorry Jihyo. I don’t know what you want me to say…”

The tears well up at the corners of Jihyo’s eyes, but she forces them back. She can’t cry now, not in front of Nayeon. That’d just be pathetic.

It’s obvious she’s on the verge of tears though, a shake evident in her voice when she finally responds.

“Nothing. Don’t say anything. You don’t have to.”

“Jihyo-” 

“No, Nayeon it’s fine. I know you’re dating Sana. I want you to be happy with her. I just had to tell you, okay. I needed you to know, before you graduate.”

Nayeon reaches out towards Jihyo, but she jerks away shaking her head.

“I don’t need your pity, okay. Really, I’m fine. I’m glad you know now. Anyways great job tonight. I’m gonna get going now.”

Jihyo turns and runs away before Nayeon can get another word out. She runs down the hall and hurries backstage to gather her things. When she finally gets to where Mina is waiting for her, the tears have long started falling down her face. It takes one look for Mina to know what just happened.

Sure, Nayeon had kept her promise. She didn’t forget about Jihyo when she went to high school. She didn’t move on to bigger and better things, like Jihyo had feared. She didn’t cast Jihyo away in favor of her new older friends.

A part of Jihyo wishes that Nayeon had, though

That would have hurt far less than this.

* * *

**October 20, 2024- 10:40 AM - Twiceland Hotel and Resorts Second Floor**

Thankfully it is only one flight of stairs Sana has Jihyo hustle up. However, much to Jihyo’s annoyance, they don’t end up slowing down once they reach the second floor. They run down the winding halls of the hotel, eventually stopping when they reach the other side of the floor. 

“What the hell was that Sana?” Jihyo pants out, bent over with her hands on her knees (or at least where she thinks her knees are, it’s difficult to tell under all the tulle).

Sana smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, about the running. I had to get you here fast. Nayeon’s mom has been over her like a hawk all morning, and Jeongyeon was finally able to distract her. This was the only opportunity we had.”

“What? C’mon what the hell is going on? What’s the emergency?” Jihyo was even more confused than before. None of what Sana was saying made any sense. 

“Uh, I’m not supposed to tell you.” Sana points at the door they’re standing in front of. “Just go in there, I’ll be standing out here guarding the door in case Mrs. Im somehow is able to slip away from Jeongyeon.”

Jihyo laughs looking at Sana expectantly. That can’t be all she has to say. Sana just stares back at her, gesturing towards the door again. 

_Well, okay then._

Jihyo puts her hand on the door getting ready to turn the handle before Sana interrupts.

“Wait.”

“What?” _You gonna’ tell me what this all about?_

“The key card. Here you need it to get in.” She reaches down the front of her dress, pulling the card out of her bra. 

When Jihyo stares at it baffled, Sana just shrugs and thrust it towards her again. “What it’s not my fault this dress doesn’t have pockets.”

Jihyo takes the card and is about to insert it into the lock when Sana stops her again.

“Wait.”

“ _What?_ ” She loves Sana but this was getting ridiculous. 

“I just wanted to tell you that you look really beautiful, Jihyo. I didn’t get to tell you back there.”

All irritation melts away momentarily, Jihyo’s heart swelling at Sana’s genuine words.

“Thanks, Sana.”

Words don’t come easily for Jihyo when she opens the door to find Nayeon standing across the room. She doesn’t know what she was expecting to find when she opened the door; Sana’s vague and sloppy excuse gave no clues as to what the ‘emergency’ Jihyo needed to deal with was. Or more aptly who that emergency was. 

One thing’s for sure, Jihyo certainly wasn’t expecting to see Nayeon standing just mere feet away from her, looking absolutely breathtaking. She didn’t have the time to properly prepare herself for this. Jihyo knew she’d be seeing Nayeon decked out in her wedding attire—dress, veil and all—later today, but she didn’t know it’d be at this very moment. 

Her heart skips a beat as she takes in the ethereal sight before her. Nayeon’s dress flows down the length of her elegant body, dipping in at the waist before elegantly gliding down the curves of her figure. Her hair is tied back into a loose bun, allowing the expanse of her chest and sharp collar bones to breathe. The warm afternoon sunlight streams through the window, illuminating Nayeon from behind. The smile gracing her glossy peach lips is by far much brighter though. Her prominent teeth begin to peak out from behind her plump lips as her grin grows.

A million words and phrases run through Jihyo’s mind. ‘You look amazing’, ‘you’re so beautiful, Nayeon’, or ‘I can’t believe I’m going to marry you’ are all reasonable options for her to choose from right now. However, her brain decides to short circuit and spit out something not as sentimental.

“I don’t really think this is allowed.” The side of Jihyo’s lips quirk to the side as she echoes the words she told Nayeon during their phone call last night.

“Oh definitely, but that hasn’t stopped us yet.” Nayeon’s chuckle comes out wet and breathy. The sad sound doesn’t quite match the teasing tone of the words.

 _Oh no,_ Jihyo thinks, _she’s crying?_

A dark part of Jihyo’s brain lead her to worry that there was actually something wrong for a second. It made her fear that Sana had brought her here because something was wrong with Nayeon. Maybe she had gotten cold feet? Maybe she no longer wanted to spend the rest of her life with Jihyo? 

Jihyo knows these thoughts are unnecessary. She knows that Nayeon loves her and wants this just as much as she does. She knows they’ve been in a relationship for the past five years, three of which they’ve spent living together. Jihyo’s long gotten over the pain from her years of dealing with unrequited love for Nayeon. She’s grown on from it and has been able to foster a happy and healthy relationship with Nayeon.

But she’s not perfect and sometimes it’s hard to not be haunted by the past.

“What’s wrong, love?” Jihyo cannot control the way she holds her breath waiting for Nayeon’s response.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to cry. You’re just so beautiful Hyo. I can’t believe you’re mine.”

The tears streaming down Nayeon’s cheeks are evidently not from sadness or stress, like the morbid part of Jihyo’s brain wants her to think. The skip in Nayeon’s step as she draws nearer to Jihyo and the way she tackles Jihyo with a hug makes it obvious that the source of the tears is overwhelming happiness.

“Don’t cry.” Jihyo whispers out, her arms immediately winding around Nayeon’s torso. She looks up at Nayeon (that growth spurt never did come) and brings a hand up to pat at the tears. “You’re going to mess up your makeup.”

Nayeon gives Jihyo another light chuckle, “It’s fine, ‘cause I look good without it.”

“Well that’s true but we paid a good penny on the makeup artist. It’d be a pity to let her hard work go to waste.” Jihyo is also worried that if Nayeon keeps up the crying, she’ll also burst out into tears of her own. They can’t have both of them going out to the ceremony with puffy eyes and smudged eyeliner. 

“Alright, alright. You got me there.” 

Nayeon blinks her eyes rapidly and sucks in a sharp breath. She schools her features and breathes out, the tears immediately drying up. Nayeon’s always been good at masking her emotions. It must be a skill she’s picked up from all those years she spent acting with the drama club, a hobby she kept up even during college.

If Jihyo had to pick one thing about Nayeon that aggravates her the most, it’d be that fact. It was difficult to tell when Nayeon was angry or upset, she was always dealt with things passively and would rarely show her anger upfront. Jihyo, on the other hand, has always basically been an open book. Especially when it comes to her feelings for the woman standing in front of her right now. 

They say opposites attract, though, so it must not be a terrible thing that they handle their emotions so differently. It might complicate things sometimes, which explains why it took them such a long time to finally get together. Eventually things always get worked out between the two of them. Despite it being difficult to figure out Nayeon's feelings and intentions at first, Jihyo would always find a way to worm the information out of her.

Sometimes it takes days, sometimes it takes months.

One time in particular, though, it took years for Jihyo to find out Nayeon’s true feelings...

* * *

**Winter Break 2015 - 2:45 PM- Kim’s Groceries and Goods**

Jihyo shudders as she enters through the automatic sliding doors of the grocery store. She rubs her hands together after taking off her gloves, internally cursing the weather outside for being so damn cold. The chill is still slipping in from the entrance, so Jihyo quickly bends down to grab a shopping basket before walking further into the store.

She starts to warm up as she starts walking down the aisles. In hindsight, she probably should have worn a scarf for this trip to the store. Her neck is stiff from the cold, and since she only cut her hair this short for the first time at the beginning of the semester, it’s not used to being exposed to the elements like this. While her neck might not like the treatment, Jihyo’s still happy with the cut. She runs a hand down the short strands that stop just near her chin now. It felt really light and airy during the warm months in between summer and fall, plus it was extremely easy to style now. Gone are her days of having to tie it up or put a cap on in order to make herself look presentable on lazy days.

Of course, the convenience isn’t the only reason she’s satisfied with the cut. The change it signifies in her life gives her an even more important reason to love her new hairdo.

She’s made so many changes this year, had to make these changes in order to get on with her life.

In order to get over _her._

It still hurts to even think about her. It hurts to even say her name in her mind. Jihyo’s been doing a good job of it so far. It was difficult at first, especially after she spent so many years pining after her. The human mind gets used to things, it doesn’t like abrupt change. However, Jihyo had to cut _her_ out of her life cold turkey.

She had to erase all traces and thoughts of Nayeon from her mind for her own good.

They stopped talking to each other after that fateful night during her sophomore year of high school. 

This in part was Jihyo’s fault because Nayeon _did_ try to talk to her afterwards. She sent her a message that night asking to meet up the next day, to which an embarrassed and pained Jihyo couldn’t even form a response to. The next week during school Nayeon tried to approach Jihyo as well, only for Jihyo to run away anytime she got close. Nayeon gave up on trying eventually, and spent the rest of her senior year shooting worried glances at Jihyo before she eventually graduated and left town. 

While she had avoided Nayeon like the plague, Jihyo couldn’t help but long for her from afar. It was like the farther she was from her the more her affections for Nayeon grew. She kept up on her life through social media, eventually watching Nayeon graduate and go onto college with Sana. Every picture she would see of the two together stabbed Jihyo in the heart. She couldn’t help but think it should be _her_ that was next to Nayeon. After all she was the one who knew Nayeon the longest, she was the one that _loved_ Nayeon the longest.

This went on for years. Jihyo tried to date other people throughout high school. She even managed to keep a boyfriend for around half a year, a really sweet guy named Daniel. However, they eventually broke things off because it was obvious Jihyo was still in love with Nayeon. 

No one was ever able to be an adequate substitute for Nayeon. The other people she tried to fill that void with were just placebos. She needed the _real_ thing.

But that was something she was never going to get.

When Jihyo graduated high school this past fall, she looked back on her years in school and realized she’d wasted them. She wasted them being in love with someone that was never going to love her back.

So, Jihyo erased Nayeon from her life completely. She deleted all the photos she had of Nayeon on her phone. She took down the polaroids of the two of them she strung up on her wall (she didn’t have the heart to trash those, so they’re currently collecting dust in a box up in her parent’s attic). She decided to stay closer to home for university rather than following Nayeon like she had planned. She blocked Nayeon everywhere she could online, cut off all contact and exposure completely. 

What she couldn’t see couldn’t effect her. It was like she had never met Nayeon. No trace of the pretty girl from across the street existed in Jihyo’s life any longer.

The final step in cutting Nayeon out of her life, was for Jihyo to cut her own hair. One time, during the beginning of Nayeon’s relationship with Sana, Jihyo had asked the older girl why she liked her girlfriend so much. Nayeon had said the expected responses: Sana was kind and outgoing, she was friendly and funny, she was easy to talk to, and all that jazz. There was one comment that really stuck with Jihyo, though. 

“I also really like her hair. It’s long and soft and really pretty. Just makes me want to run my fingers through it,” Nayeon sighed out, dreamily staring off into space.

Jihyo chewed her lip, her hands subconsciously coming up to touch the tips of her short braids. They barely went past her shoulders at the time. “Her hair? So you like girls with long hair?”

Nayeon had hummed, her mouth stretching into a soft grin, “Mhmm. Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

After that Jihyo became determined to grow her hair out long. She cringed at the thought of taking scissors to her locks, and basically threw a fit begging her mother not to make her get her yearly haircut. For some stupid reason, Jihyo had thought that if she kept her hair long, maybe Nayeon would eventually like her. Jihyo now realizes how ridiculous that was but she was young, naive and desperately in love. For five years— _five years—_ Jihyo grew out her hair, and by the time she was a freshman in college her hair went down to the small of her back.

She definitely had become a girl with long hair, but that obviously wasn’t the only requirement to earn Nayeon’s affections.

So as Jihyo stood in her dorm’s bathroom letting Mina have a go at her hair with scissors, it felt like Nayeon was finally being cut out of her life for good. Nayeon fell out of Jihyo’s life along with strands of hair, floating down to the tiled floor to be later swept away and forgotten.

Jihyo was finally able to move on.

Or so she had thought.

“Jihyo, is that you?” 

That voice. Jihyo knows that even though it’s been two years since she last heard it in person. It was impossible for her to forget though. Her ears immediately recognize and the pavlovian response of her heartbeat picking up speed gets set off. 

The apple that Jihyo had been inspecting almost falls out of her hands. Thankfully it doesn’t, and she’s able to carefully put it back on top of the pile in front of her. The shopping list her mother had given her is going to have to wait. 

Before Jihyo can even turn around to address the person speaking, the voice calls out again.

“Jihyo, it’s me.” The voice is closer now, almost directly behind her. A light weight is placed on Jihyo’s shoulder, the fingers of the person’s hand squeezing lightly. “It’s Nayeon.”

Jihyo should have known this was a possibility, she’s actually surprised it’s taken this long for them to run into each other. Nayeon’s family still lives right across the street from hers, Jihyo knows this despite trying not to look in the direction of the house too much over the past two years. It’s winter break, so of course Nayeon would come back home to visit her family. Still, Jihyo’s not prepared for the sight she’s met with when she turns around. Just like that, the months of work spent erasing Nayeon from her life disappears. The walls Jihyo built around her heart begin to shake, a small crack forming in the base. 

It’s unfair really, how pretty Nayeon still is. Her hair is no longer the natural black color it once was, a warm chestnut hue now taking its place; a fresh set of bangs also flutter out across her forehead stopping just above her eyes. She must have just come in to the store, her scarf is still tightly wrapped around her neck and a red flush is dusted across her full cheeks.

Confusion starts to cross Nayeon’s beautiful face, her eyebrows scrunching together up underneath her bangs. _Oh right, I should probably say something,_ Jihyo thinks remembering that it’s common social courtesy to respond when someone speaks to you. She can’t just spend the rest of her life standing here staring at Nayeon. 

“Oh, hi,” is the eloquent response her brain supplies her with. She supposes it could be worse. Nothing like a ‘hey I’m still in love with you, no matter how hard I try not to be’ to make things real awkward, real quick.

Nayeon just smiles and continues speaking. It seems she still just as sociable and friendly as ever. “It’s been a while. Two years, right?”

“Yeah, two years.” Jihyo can’t bring herself to say anything else. She doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t have anything to say to Nayeon any longer. Or at least that’s what she tells herself.

Nayeon’s trying really hard to establish eye contact with Jihyo, who’s trying _really hard_ not to. She coughs and asks, “Well, you look good. You’re in college, right? I saw photos of your graduation on your mom’s Facebook. How’s the university life treating you?”

Jihyo tries to smother the little bit of hope rising inside. _So she’s kept up with me._ “It’s been fine. Busy. You probably know that, though.”

“Oh yeah, totally. I pretty much have the hang of things now, well as much as one can.” Nayeon laughs, “But the first two semesters took a lot to get used to. I was a mess, just ask Sana or Jeongyeon.” 

Jihyo winces, hearing Sana’s name aloud still hurts. When Nayeon had graduated and left for university a year before Sana, Jihyo had expected for their relationship to fall apart or at least slowly fade away. However, they stayed together and for all Jihyo knew _were_ still together—they looked to be awfully happy and still going strong in all of Nayeon’s posts Jihyo saw before she blocked her.

“Ah, Sana…” Jihyo shifts her weight awkwardly, nervous energy flowing through her body. “Uh, how are things going with you guys?”

Jihyo probably shouldn’t ask that, since she already knows the answer and hearing directly from Nayeon how happy she is with Sana is only going to hurt Jihyo even more. She can’t help it though, she’s always been a bit of a masochist when it comes to Nayeon.

“Oh, we’re good. We’re not together anymore, but we’re still friends.”

Well, that was the last thing Jihyo expected to hear.

Jihyo was prepared to feel hurt after hearing about how happy Nayeon and Sana were. She was ready to listen to Nayeon go on and on about the couples yoga classes she and Sana started taking or how they moved in together recently. She was definitely not ready for the whiplash that Nayeon’s actual response gave. 

She sputters, looking up at Nayeon incredulously. “You broke up?”

Nayeon nods. “Yeah, a few months ago. It wasn’t a big deal or anything, just kind of a mutual thing. She’s seeing someone else now.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Sana fell in love with someone who wasn’t me, and who am I to stop love.”

Nayeon doesn’t seem all that affected by it. Which Jihyo finds odd. You’d think she’d be a little more torn up after her girlfriend of five years left her for someone else. It makes Jihyo wonder if Nayeon considered herself to be ‘in love with Sana’, because from the sound of it that wasn’t the case. It’s not Jihyo’s place to ask though, not right now here in the middle of a supermarket after not seeing each other for two years. That’s too personal of a conversation. They’re supposed to basically be strangers now. 

“Oh, well it was...nice running into you.” Jihyo holds up the list in her hand, looking for a smooth way to end the conversation. “My mom sent me here to get some stuff for the house. I better get going.” 

“Wait, before you go.” Nayeon stops Jihyo, digging into her purse and pulling out her cellphone. She unlocks it and goes to the dial screen before holding it out for Jihyo. “I don’t think I have the right number for you anymore. I tried to message you recently to see if we could meet up when I come home for break, but you never responded. I’m actually really glad we ran into each other like this.”

Nayeon’s staring at her excitedly with those round hopeful eyes. Jihyo can feel another crack form in the foundation of the wall around her heart. _Fuck._

Jihyo gulps, awkwardly taking the phone from Nayeon’s hand. She’s lucky she actually did change numbers recently after her phone got stolen on the bus (which she refuses to take now, her calves have gotten amazingly toned from all the walking she’s had to do around campus). While it seemed like a crappy thing to have happened at the time, at least it saved her from having to explain to Nayeon that she blocked her.

“Here you go.” Jihyo passes the device back to Nayeon after typing her name in and saving it. ‘Jihyo’ is the contact name she saves it under—just her simple name with no emojis or emoticons near it like there used to be. 

“Great!” Nayeon pockets the device, her prominent front teeth showing as she smiles brightly. 

(Jihyo hates the way she still finds that cute. She hates the way her heart still skips a beat at the sight.)

“Well, Hyo, I’ll text you later so we can set something up. I’ve been wanting to catch up with you.” Nayeon’s hand grasps ahold of Jihyo’s, her long digits engulfing Jihyo’s smaller hand as they squeeze around it. “I’m _really_ glad I got to see you.”

“Okay.” It’s not a proper response, but it’s the only sentence Jihyo can form. She’s afraid of what embarrassing and vulnerable things might come out of her mouth if she were to allow herself to speak freely.

“Take care, Hyo. I missed you.”

“You take care too, Nayeon-unnie.”

They part ways after that. Jihyo can’t stop herself from glancing back to watch Nayeon walk away. She’s surprised to find Nayeon looking back at her. She waves at Jihyo, sending her a charged glance before continuing to disappear down an aisle. 

_Okay now what the fuck was_ that _?_

Jihyo shakes her head and smoothes out the grocery list that had crumpled up. When her hand clenched into a fist she doesn’t know. Probably midway between Nayeon’s wave and wink.

The _nerve_ of that girl. Who does she think she is just waltzing back into Jihyo’s life after breaking her heart twice? How dare she disregard the months of hard work and concentration it took for Jihyo to finally start to get over her? It’s not fair the way she can make the carefully crafted walls Jihyo built around her heart start to crack with just one look and a toothy smile.

Jihyo hates it. She hates Nayeon and the way she can make her fall in love with her all over again.

This can’t happen. She can feel it, the love for Nayeon slowly starting to build up inside again. She needs to crush it, smother it, make it stay down deep in the depths of her past. Jihyo’s worked so hard to get over Nayeon, she can’t just let all that work go to waste.

So, Jihyo decides that she _won’t_ meet up with Nayeon. She’ll tell her she’s too busy doing things with family over the break. Nayeon will probably try to message her again after that but she won’t respond. A few weeks will pass and all of this will be forgotten. This will just have been a small speed bump on the road to completely forgetting Nayeon.

This what Jihyo repeats to herself as she quickly finishes shopping and runs home, hoping not to run into the other girl in the store.

Except something happens that night when Nayeon’s message comes through asking Jihyo out to lunch the next day. Rather than telling Nayeon no, Jihyo finds herself agreeing to meet up. The voice of reason in her head yells at her, tells her she’s making a mistake, says it’s not too late to take it back. 

But it seems that her heart is in control right now. When Nayeon texts her back the time and place to meet Jihyo’s fingers quickly type out a response, her heart beating excitedly out of her chest and up into her throat. 

_‘Great. See you there, unnie.’_

****

“Sorry, I hope you weren’t waiting too long?” Jihyo’s voice is soft and hesitant as she speaks, her grip so tight on her purse hanging off her shoulder that her knuckles start to go white.

“No, don’t worry. Have a seat,” Nayeon smiles and gestures to the vacant spot across the table. “I only got here a few minutes ago.”

She’s lying. Nayeon arrived at this coffee shop around twenty minutes ago, right on time at 2 pm. Jihyo only knows this because she herself had spent the past thirty minutes wasting time window shopping the various novelty and thrift shops across the street, glancing anxiously out towards their meeting place every few minutes. Her nerves had gotten the best of her, keeping Jihyo stock still in place. 

But Nayeon doesn’t need to know this. So Jihyo quirks her lips up in a shameful excuse of a smile and takes the seat. 

Jihyo feels bad about being late; she saw the hopeful glances Nayeon gave the door everytime it would open up, she also saw the way those glances slumped down into frowns each time it wasn’t her. She can’t control her emotions, though. That’s just not something Jihyo has ever been that great at—especially when it comes to Nayeon. 

And Nayeon has been the only thing on Jihyo’s mind since she ran into her yesterday. Whether she was cooking with her mother, video chatting with Mina, or going through her nightly routine Jihyo couldn’t help but think about Nayeon. It’s funny really how just one short five minute interaction with the girl was able to erase all the months of work Jihyo went through just to even _begin_ to forget Nayeon. 

Besides it’s not like the twenty minutes she made Nayeon wait for compare to the years of pining and anguish Jihyo had to experience.

That’s a bitter and childish thought, she knows. But thinking that way helps to dull the pain she feels as she glances at Nayeon through her bangs.

Nayeon clears her throat, the lull in conversation far too uncomfortable for someone as talkative as her. She picks up one of the two cups sitting on the middle of the table. Sipping from one she pushes the other towards Jihyo. 

“Here, I got you this. It shouldn’t be too cold yet, the server just brought them.”

Jihyo stares at the cup, watching the milky brown liquid slosh around at the force of Nayeon moving it. She’s apprehensive to grab the cup at first, having told herself before coming that she wouldn’t let Nayeon buy her anything today. Paying for each other implies a certain amount of closeness between the two of them, and she can’t allow herself to get close to Nayeon again. But Jihyo is a broke college student and can never say no to anything free. Plus Nayeon had already went and bought it, it’d be rude not to just accept the favor.

“Thanks.” Jihyo brings the small cup up to her face, breathing in the sharp but sweet scent. 

She takes a sip, humming as the warm liquid slides down her throat. Nayeon remembered how she liked her coffee, two sugars with just a bit of milk. Jihyo could never drink it straight black, that amount of bitterness was too much too handle. But she could also never take it the way Nayeon does, muddled down with so much cream and sugar it basically wasn’t even coffee anymore. She cringes as she watches Nayeon slurp at her own diabetes-inducing drink. The little bit of whip cream that gets left at the corner of Nayeon’s mouth is quite endearing though.

“You got a little…” Jihyo mimes wiping her own mouth.

“Shit, thanks.” The blush that blooms across Nayeon’s plump cheeks as she hurries to wipe the spot away is just as endearing, if not even moreso. 

After she finishes cleaning herself up, Nayeon sets the napkin down and levels her gaze at Jihyo. It’s intense. There’s no trace of the usual playfulness it used to carry when they were younger, nor the lightheartedness that was present yesterday during their short encounter. No, there’s a seriousness behind Nayeon’s eyes now. Jihyo can’t help the shudder that ripples down her spine at the intensity of it. 

This isn’t some simple carefree meet-up. There’s weight to the conversation they're about to have. Nayeon has something to tell Jihyo, something that will change the nature of their relationship forever yet again.

Whether that will be for better or worse, Jihyo doesn’t know. That ambiguity frightens and excites her at the same time.

“Look, Jihyo. I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while.” Nayeon starts out. She extends her arm out in front of her, placing it on the table with her palm flat on the surface. 

Jihyo’s eyes immediately dart down to it. The hand is at a respectable distance for now, not having yet crossed the invisible line on the table dictating what their respectives sides are. She wants it to stay there, back across the boundary. A few years ago she would’ve instinctively reached out and placed her own upon it. She can feel the phantom itch in her arms begging her to do just that. “You mentioned that yesterday.” 

Subconsciously or not, the hand begins inching towards Jihyo as Nayeon speaks. “I’m not really happy with how we left things off after...you know...”

_After you rejected me for the second time? After I ran away from you like a coward?_

“Yeah, I know. You don’t have to say it.” 

Jihyo glances out the window watching the numerous pedestrians walk by. It was nearing the end of December, meaning plenty of people were out probably stressing over getting presents or planning holiday get-togethers. Jihyo had already gotten her presents together for her family and friends months ago, she hated shopping for gifts last minute—especially in the chaos that is the holiday season. She’d give anything to be lost in the mass of that crowd right now though. It’d be better than sitting here listening to Nayeon drudge up the past she’s taken so much care to try and forget.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to keep you in my life. You know ‘til this day I can never forget how sad I was on graduation day when I looked up into the crowd and didn’t see you there with my family.” Nayeon lets out a bitter laugh, her hand leaving the table as she brings it up to her chin. “It just felt _wrong_ for you not to be there. I mean you had been a part of my life for so long, had been such a constant, and then on that day which was supposed to be one of the most important ones of my life...you just weren’t there. You should’ve been there, and I should’ve been there for yours, too. But at that point it just felt too awkward, like I didn’t belong in your life anymore.”

_You don’t belong in my life. I don’t belong in yours either._

Jihyo doesn’t say this. Instead she just sits and listens to Nayeon continue. 

“I really regret that. Not trying to hold on to what we had. I’ve missed you so much Jihyo, there’s been so many times that something’s happened to me and I just wished I could turn and talk to you about it. So much has happened in the past two years and while I love the friends I experienced it all with, I can’t help but wish you were somehow a part of it too. I was just too afraid to try and reach out and by the time I gathered the courage to, it was too late.” 

Jihyo cringes at that. So, she does know Jihyo has blocked her on everything. 

“Sorry about that. The blocking. I just...had to.”

“No, I mean I get it. You wanted to move on, I don’t blame you,” Nayeon takes a sip from her cup. "But I did promise you all those years ago that I wouldn't forget you. And trust me I don't think I could even if I wanted to. I mean maybe I seem pathetic right now trying to hold onto the past."

Holding onto the past. That was something Jihyo did for the better part of the last two years. Something that she thought she should be ashamed of, embarrassed of. It was something she finally thought she was letting go of. 

Jihyo sighs,“No, you’re not pathetic. I mean I held onto the past for such a long time, too. It’s something we all do and for good reason. While there were some painful times, there were also just as many good times.”

Her mind flashes back to numerous bus rides and sleepovers they shared together. All the play dates and study sessions they partook in together. While it’s undeniable that Nayeon caused Jihyo to cry many times, it’s also true that she made her smile twice as much. 

“But I realized that that’s just what it is—the past. It’s something you have to move on from.”

_I have to move on from you._

“But what if you don’t.”

Jihyo jumps, because she knows she didn’t say that last part out loud. The bite mark on the inside of her cheek her tongue rolls over reassures her of that. It still feels like she did though, as Nayeon stares at her with a bit of hope and desperation in her eyes.

“I’m not saying to dwell on the past. What I’m saying is that we don’t have to move on from it. What if, instead, we learn from the mistakes we made and use them to help create the future we want?”

That’s an optimistic outlook to have, that’s for sure. It’s completely different from Jihyo’s perspective. She’d like to do things that way, but she’s not quite sure she can.

While she appreciated Nayeon’s friendship, she can’t ignore the pain she felt each time she saw Nayeon in a relationship with someone else that wasn’t her. She was fine letting Nayeon be happy with someone else now. She eventually got over her jealous streak and just wanted Nayeon to be happy even if it wasn’t with her, but that doesn’t mean she thinks she can deal with the pain that being around Nayeon without _being with her_ would bring.

“I’m sorry, but I just don’t think I can do that with you. I miss you like crazy too. You don’t even know.” Jihyo grits her teeth, “But it’s taken me so long to get over everything, and I don’t think things can ever return to how they were with us. Nayeon, I can’t just be friends with you.”

Nayeon’s hand falls back on the table. This time the palm is facing upwards, open and extended as an offering to Jihyo.

“What if I don’t want to just be friends?”

This isn’t real. This isn’t actually happening. None of what Nayeon is saying is making any sense right now. This is some alternate universe Jihyo’s dreamed up and in a few minutes she’s going to wake up back alone in her bed.

It has to be, because what Nayeon is saying right now sure sounded a heck of a lot like some sort of confession.

And that just isn’t something that can actually happen. Jihyo was the one who always liked Nayeon, and Nayeon just never liked her back. That’s just how it always was.

Jihyo stares at Nayeon’s open hand, dumbfounded.

“You...don’t…”

Unable to form the sentence, her voice trails off. Jihyo’s gaze lifts, traveling the length of Nayeon’s arms, up past the smooth curve of her neck and eventually landing on her watery eyes.

Nayeon’s voice is thick with emotion as she answers Jihyo’s unfinished question. 

“No, Jihyo I don’t want to be your friend. I want to be your everything.”

If she was one of the strangers within ear shot right now, Jihyo would probably laugh at the cheesiness of the line. It was sickly sweet and dramatic as hell. But that’s what makes this unbelievable situation feel a little real to Jihyo. It was Nayeon after all. Her dramatic, loveable Nayeon.

That doesn’t mean Jihyo isn’t still a little apprehensive to give into the joy bubbling up in the pit of her stomach. While she’s certain it isn’t a dream any longer (there’s no way in hell her subconscious would come up with a puke-inducing line like that), Jihyo still finds herself in disbelief. The girl she had spent _years_ pining over, the girl that always seemed so _unattainable_ , just said she wanted to be with Jihyo. The emotional whiplash Jihyo’s gone through over the past twenty minutes is a little hard to deal with at the moment.

Despite this though, Jihyo places her hand in Nayeon’s. She can’t deny it just feels _right_ as Nayeon’s long fingers wrap around her hand. 

“I...I mean. Okay, but what about Sana?” Sana had been tied to Nayeon for such a longtime, she can’t imagine she’d be out of Nayeon’s life.

“We broke up, I told you that yesterday. There’s this girl, Jeongyeon’s roommate. Her name is Momo. They have this weird connection, Sana and her. Like they just kinda go together. I noticed it and I wasn’t gonna stop that from happening.”

Nayeon squeezes Jihyo’s hand and smiles.

“Besides, there was someone I had a weird connection with too that I just couldn’t forget about.”

That was it. The final crack was chipped into the walls around Jihyo’s heart. They come crashing down, settling into ruins. The ruins will be there for a while, it’s hard to get over things just like that. But Jihyo knows that with Nayeon’s help they can sweep them away and finally allow Jihyo’s heart to grow strong once again.

All Jihyo wants to do right now is jump over this table and give Nayeon a kiss. Give her the kiss she always wished she could. A kiss filled with years of built up longing, passion, desperation, and love.

She’s not too sure the other customers in the coffeeshop would be okay with that, though.

Nayeon seems to be having similar thoughts.

“Do you maybe want to get out of here?” She gestures towards the door, “My car’s parked in the garage next door. We could go to my house?” 

As much as Jihyo loves Nayeon’s family and she can’t wait to catch up with them after years of being apart, she’s not too sure the things she wants to do with Nayeon right now should take place around them. Her own house is definitely not an option either, her sister is now a nosey hormonal twelve year old.

“My parents and sister went to my grandparents’ for the weekend. I’m supposed to be heading up there too tomorrow, but I told them I had some important business to deal with here first.”

Nayeon’s house, empty and free of any prying eyes. Now that sounds nice.

Jihyo nods standing and grabbing Nayeon’s hand.

“Alright let’s go.”

They have their first kiss that night, among other things. And as Jihyo finds herself in the throes of passion exploring Nayeon in ways she was never able to before a small part of her feels scared and unsure of the future ahead of them. It’s taken them so long to get here, and it all feels a little too unreal. 

She welcomes the fear though, because with it comes excitement and hope. And as Nayeon places kisses on her marking a path down her body, Jihyo finds herself thrilled for the future they’re about to create together.

* * *

**October 20, 2024- 10:45 AM - Twiceland Hotel and Resorts Room #0220**

“So why’d you do this? What was _so_ important that you had to steal me away literal minutes before our wedding?” 

They’re now sitting on the bed in the room. Their hands clasped together, the matching engagement rings shining in the warm overhead light. They have about fifteen minutes left until they’re supposed to be at the ballroom; Jihyo’s certain their mothers are somewhere arguing with a frantic Jeongyeon and Mina. So whatever Nayeon wanted to do, she needs to do quickly.

“So, actually I owe you something.” Nayeon bites her lips. It’s obvious she’s trying to make the moment serious, but it seems like her acting skills are failing her just this one time.

“You owe me something?” Jihyo raises an eyebrow as she watches Nayeon lean over to grab an envelope off the nightstand.

“Mhmm. Here, this is for you.”

Jihyo takes the envelope, inspecting it. Her name is written on the front in Nayeon’s round lettering. A cute little heart is dotted above the ‘i’, adding just another level of sweetness. She looks at Nayeon for more information who only gestures for her to open it up. Inside there's a folded piece of paper. It looks old and like it’s been ripped from a journal, the blue lines on it contrasting against the now yellow paper. Next to the paper is a crisply folded twenty dollar bill. Jihyo takes these out and sets them down on the bed. She goes to look for any other content inside the envelope only to find none.

“You remember that bet we made sixteen years ago?” A giggle manages to escape past Nayeon’s lips as she picks up the folded piece of paper from the bed. She opens it and holds it out for Jihyo, “The one we made on the bus. Where you said you knew we were gonna get married one day and I said there was _no way_ that was gonna happen.”

Jihyo remembers, oh she definitely remembers. Tears start to well up in her eyes as she looks down at the writing on the page. Some of the ink has smeared over the years and her old handwriting is slightly atrocious, but the bet is written there in plain and simple language. 

‘ _Nayeon Im owes Jihyo Park $20 in the future if they get married. BUT if they do not get married Jihyo Park owes Nayeon Im the money.’_

It’s worded oddly and definitely wouldn’t hold up in court, but it’s clear as day the rules of the bet. Jihyo gives her younger self props for being so thorough, seeing that their names are written in both English and Hangul. She must’ve really thought she was doing something groundbreaking with this.

“I can’t believe you made Jeongyeon and Sana go to all this trouble for this. I can’t even believe you kept this,” Jihyo pushes Nayeon’s shoulder. She sets the note aside, she can feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes and she doesn’t want to risk ruining the fragile paper anymore. They’ll have to get that framed or laminated.

“You gave it to me to keep it safe. I wasn’t just gonna go back on my promise.” Nayeon scoffs. “I can’t believe _you_ forgot about it. So much was on the line, I mean _twenty dollars?_ You’re loaded now.”

“Oh shut up.”

Jihyo picks the paper and folded bill up, she places a kiss on them both and places them back in the envelope. Numerous emotions rise up inside as she gives her attention back to Nayeon. Elation, surprise, nostalgia, love. They all flood through her system as she reaches forward and crashes Nayeon’s lips to her own.

A knock sounds on the door, pulling them away from each other. Sana’s frantic voice comes from the other side. 

“You guys, uhhh Jeogyeon just messaged me your mom got away from her Nayeon. They’re wondering where you both are. She’s coming up here to get you now.”

Nayeon rolls her eyes, “Alright, Jihyo will be out in a sec!”

She leans forward and presses another kiss against Jihyo’s lips. Her hand comes up and wipes at the stray tears on Jihyo’s cheeks. “Didn’t you tell me not to cry? Now look at you, ruining your makeup. Unbelievable.”

They both chuckle their foreheads pressing together for a split second before Nayeon stands and extends her hand towards Jihyo. 

“C’mon. We have to get married now. Don’t let my twenty dollars go to waste.”

Jihyo smiles, taking her soon-to-be-wife’s hand. As they walk towards the door she comments, “Y’know I’m surprised you even brought this back up. You’re pretty prideful and you definitely lost this bet.”

Nayeon looks back to where the envelope lays on the bed. They’ll come back to retrieve it later. She’s kept that letter with her for years, and there’s no way she’ll ever lose it. She promised Jihyo after all. And just like she kept the promise to not forget Jihyo she'll keep this one too.

(As well as the huge promise they're about to make to each other in front of a room full of people. She better keep that one too.)

“Yeah I did lose the bet. And I’m so damn glad I did.”

It’s taken them such a long time to get where they are today. There’s been ups and downs, and times when it just seemed like things weren’t meant for them. But that’s all in the past.

Now, they get to focus on the future they’ll make together.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and criticisms are encouraged and appreciated!
> 
> I have [a twitter](http://twitter.com/babym1na)  
> If you have any questions about this story feel free to hit me up there :)


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